


A is A: Si Vis Pacem

by Flyboy254



Series: A Is A [20]
Category: Fairy Tail, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-13 01:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16007384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flyboy254/pseuds/Flyboy254
Summary: On a planet in ruins, Carter falls unconscious investigating an alien structure. Is she crazy? Another team joins Fairy Tail's strongest on a journey to the SGC. Are they capable? Gajeel meets Teal'c. Will the interior of the SGC survive?





	1. Chapter 1

**Si Vis Pacem**

* * *

Lucy marveled at the city before her, the only thing separating her from a tourist the pistol and keys on her hip. Daniel ran a hand along one of the structures. “Colonel, this is amazing. What do you think it was like back when this place was in it’s prime?”

 

“I’m more worried about what might be left over now,” O’Neill said, Teal’c scanning the area. “What do you think Teal’c?”

 

“This was not a Goa’uld invasion,” Teal’c noted, staring at the ruins. “If this had been an attack by a system lord, there would either be a world in bondage to the attacker or there would be no ruins left standing.”

 

“A shame,” Erza said, surveying the destruction as they clambered over a pile of rubble. “A city like this deserves to be full of life, not silence.”

 

Clambering down the rocks, O’Neill called out to Daniel as the doctor was studying a stone column covered in alien writing. “16’s coming through to setup the UAV.”

 

Teal’c stood beside O’Neill as MV-1 kept looking around. “It appears the inhabitants of this city lost a great battle, and were destroyed long ago.” Daniel turned from his work as Teal’c went on. “There appear to be no survivors.”

 

Daniel’s face fell. “Well that’s a shame, I was hoping somebody could help me decipher this language.”

 

O’Neill looked surprised. “No idea?”

 

Daniel shook his head. “No, it’s very odd. Whatever this is, it’s a completely different design than the rest of the civilization.”

 

O’Neill rattled something around his brain for a moment. “Maybe it was here when they got here?”

 

“Well that’s assuming the inhabitants were foreign to the planet.” O’Neill rattled what Daniel said around again and nodded. “I can probably date it’s construction and compare it to the rest of the structures with some form of carbon analysis.”

 

“How long?”

 

Daniel looked back. “For what?”

 

O’Neill motioned to the ruins. “For all it, how long?”

 

Daniel thought for a moment. “Uh, well, days, weeks, months maybe. It’s meticulous, tedious, boring tediousness.” O’Neill rolled his eyes and kept walking through the debris, Teal’c occupying himself in the opposite direction.

 

Lucy shrugged. “Guess it isn’t fast enough for him. If you want, I can ask my friend Levy to help.”

 

Daniel nodded. “Right, right, she’s the blue-haired one that helped me translate when we went to your guild hall?” Daniel nodded. “Well it would help to have an extra pair of eyes to read all this over. Course we’d have to run it by Gen. Hammond to make sure we can clear her to come along.”

 

“Better tell him she’ll have three people with her.” Lucy grinned devilishly. “Two of her teammates are totally head-over-heels, and the third just can’t admit it out loud yet.” Daniel blinked and quickly refocused on the stone carving before him.

 

O’Neill walked into the massive metal structure to see Carter kneeling over a panel, Erza behind him. “Carter, any idea what this thing is yet?”

 

“No sir, but the technology’s very advanced.”

 

Erza walked around the device in the center of the room. To her, the metal and crystal spire looked like something she would expect to find in her own world. “ _A weapon? No, it would have been used on whatever was attacking them._ ”

 

“Well we’re gonna head out on the town,” O’Neill said, patting Erza’s shoulder and guiding her out of the chamber. “Don’t turn anything on.”

 

Carter nodded half-heartedly and bent back down, O’Neill making a noise as she did. “Ah! What’d I just say?”

 

Carter pulled her hands back, looking insulted. “I know!”

 

Erza adjusted her holster as she walked beside O’Neill. “You know, with the crystal on that device, it almost reminds me of a lacrima we would use back in our home.”

 

O’Neill shrugged. “Don’t see it, but then I never was much of one for modern art.”

 

Erza tried to grin, but the design of the device hung in the back of her head like a weight drawing all her attention to it. “ _Why? Why does it just look so familiar?_ ”

 

Carter rubbed at her eyes as she examined the device, trying to make sense of the design. “ _Maybe it’s some kind of cultural artifact? A time capsule? Then why didn’t they leave any way for us to read the column outside?_ ” As she pondered, a gust of wind blew over her face. Moving toward the door. Suddenly Carter was overwhelmed by the sensation that she wasn’t alone. “ _Can I not see it?_ ”

 

Silence. No sign of movement or any scent that was suddenly assaulting her nose. Shaking off the sensation, Carter went back to work.

* * *

Gray paced the ruins, kicking at idle pieces he came across just small enough to send a good distance. “Wow, so she managed all that in one week?”

 

“Asami Sato is a formidable young woman,” Teal’c said as he walked. “It would not shock me to learn that her company has become the foremost developer of the technologies we gave her.”

 

“Man, things are getting wild all over the place,” Gray said, still kicking errant bits of rubble. “Master said that the Magic Council is still hounding him for answers on what happened at Tenrou, and there’s rumors of something happening out on the waters.”

 

Teal’c stopped as he surveyed the scene of ruin before him. “Does Master Makarov consider this an issue?”

 

Gray shook his head, setting his hands on his hips as he looked over the scene as well. “He’s got enough problems with the guild. A lot of the members are asking to come along on these missions, even though we aren’t getting paid they-” He felt Teal’c grab his wrist, and looking down Gray saw he was starting to take his top off. “Oh, thanks. They think that they can take on any jobs the US government wants done in exchange for gold.”

 

Teal’c looked over in confusion. “Do they understand that this will not be the payment they are expecting? And that the government will expect them to be restrained in their actions while in this dimension?”

 

Gray grimaced at the though of any more guild teams entering the dimension. “No, I don’t think they do. Master only sent us after all, and he’s covering for us every time we’re gone.”

 

“This system is most unusual to me,” Teal’c mentioned. “Why you are not under the control of your government as their agents is beyond my comprehension.”

 

Gray laughed. “Yeah right. Those idiots trying to tell Fairy Tail what to do? They’d have no chance to even get us to give them the time of day.”

 

Teal’c nodded. “I have noted that the actions of Fairy Tail indicate a weak king. That is perhaps a fortunate reality for your magic guilds. However, do they not fear the government organizing to gain control of them?”

 

Gray scoffed at the idea. “They aren’t like your government. They’re practically useless for anything important.”

 

Teal’c nodded. “That is most useful to know.”

 

Their radios crackled to life, and Daniel’s voice called out. “ _Jack, get back here, now!_ ”


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 

[Lucy strolled down the streets of Magnolia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZNGnZqA4fE), her arms basking in the sunlight freed from the sleeves of a military jacket. “It’s so weird. I mean Maj. Carter just falling unconscious like that?”

 

“To be fair, their reports mentioned that they’ve encountered several instances where their minds were affected by alien beings.” Erza looked up in thought as she hauled her gear behind her. “I still can’t imagine the power of the being they called ‘Urgo’ though. The way O’Neill wrote about him, it seemed to affect the team deeply.”

 

Gray yawned, shirt already off as she walked through the town and young women not paying attention to where they walked as they saw him. “I’m just glad to be home. You sure you want to go back Lucy? Gen. Hammond gave us a few weeks off.”

 

“Are you nuts? Someone has to watch Jet and Droy. Levy’s gonna have enough trouble keeping Gajeel in line.” Smiling, Lucy saw the doors to Fairy Tail coming up. “You’re right though. It’s always great to be home.”

 

[Erza swung the doors wide open as she walked into the guild hall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L26TQP7Qe9I), savoring the familiar sounds of talking, drinking, and the occasional shouting match. Macao and Wakaba looked up from their discussion and broke into wide grins. “Hey, if it isn’t our ambassadors to the multi-whatever! Welcome back guys, where’d you go this time?”

 

“It was so cool,” Lucy said, settling into a seat next to the two. “It was another civilization, Daniel even thinks that they didn’t fall to the Goa’uld.”

 

“Dang, listen to our little Lucy,” Wakaba said, laughing as he ruffled her hair. “Just got her S-class and already talking like a pro.”

 

Lucy laughed along as she playfully shoved Wakaba’s hand away. “What, jealous that I’m going instead of you? You know they aren’t paying us for these missions.”

 

“Oh, so they’re missions now,” Macao said, setting his drink on the table. “Why you’re talking like a soldier Lucy. Better be careful they don’t try to recruit you.”

 

Lucy shook her head as Gray leaned back with his pants God only knew where. “No chance of that,” she said, holding up her right hand. “They’ll never take me away from Fairy Tail.”

 

Erza walked up to the bar, Mirajane cleaning out a tankard. “Welcome back Erza. Master’s upstairs right now, but he should be finishing up soon. He’s talking with The Thunder Kin about a quest they’re thinking about taking.”

 

“Talking with them?” Erza tried to process the statement. “Is it dangerous?”

 

Mirajane shook her head. “No, it sounded pretty routine from what I heard. Just go down the coast and see why some letters weren’t getting to a fishing village.”

 

Erza shrugged, still trying to tell the voice back in her head to shut up about the object back on the planet. “Has anything happened since we were gone?”

 

Mirajane went back to smiling. “Oh, nothing that you haven’t seen already. Alzac and Bisca are working on a quest to stop a small dark guild from robbing trains, and Elfman took Lisanna to see about helping with a quest to help build a new bridge outside of town.”

 

Erza smiled, taking a full tankard offered by Mirajane. “Sounds like everything is about back to normal then.”

 

Mirajane’s smile shrank dramatically as she looked right. “Well, almost everything.”

 

Erza followed and saw Natsu sitting alone, Happy next to him and both staring with dour expressions and two plates of half-eaten food before them. Natsu has a small candle with him, and occasionally would at times pull off a piece of flame to eat. Erza couldn’t help the fact that there was no life in either set of eyes, but before she could go over she heard footsteps coming down the stairs behind the bar.

 

“Ah, Erza.” Makarov came down with the Thunder Kin in tow, Laxus and his team nodding as they walked past. “Good to have you back. How was the quest?”

 

“As far as Gen. Hammond was concerned master, the mission is still ongoing.” Erza let Makarov jump onto the stool next to her before continuing. “Gray and I are back for a time, but Lucy suggested that we ask Levy and Shadow Gear to go with her to aid in translating some ancient texts that were found on the planet.”

 

Makarov nodded as Mirajane handed him a drink. “Hmmm. Do you think it would improve the situation?”

 

“I still have to talk with them, but Gen. Hammond already gave his approval.”

 

Makarov nodded. “Very well. Levy should be back soon, Shadow Gear left to take a small contract a few days ago. For now, you all rest. I’m sure being back must take a lot off your minds.”

 

Erza nodded, raising her glass to her master. “Col. O’Neill would probably say, ‘Be it ever so insane, there’s nowhere like home’.”

 

It was another day again after that, with Gray talking to Juvia without either validating her feelings or simply not noticing them as Macao and Wakaba argued about their lives at home and Vijeeter practiced his dance. Cana drank and drew cards while Reedus captured the moments in time on his canvas. Everything felt as it should have been, another day at the guild without any problems beating down the door.

 

“Wow, that’s so cool,” Laki said, leaning on her elbows as she and several other guildmates listened to Lucy talk about her latest adventures. “You’re so lucky Lucy, being able to go to other worlds like you are right now. I’d chose to abandon my nicest coverings just to go with you one time.”

 

Lucy laughed, guessing that Laki meant, “I’d give up my best outfits.” “ _Col. O’Neill would sure like to have a conversation with her about cliches._ ”

 

“I still can’t believe that you guys fought aliens and whole armies,” Warren said, carving up a thick slice of steak. “Is it any different from fighting dark guilds?”

 

“I guess it is a little,” Lucy said, thinking for a minute. “The dark guilds don’t fight like the Goa’uld or PAC.”

 

Warren swallowed his food. “Which ones are which again?”

 

“Goa’uld are aliens, PAC is the army.” Lucy sipped at her drink before going on to the small crowd. “Well the Goa’uld are pretty full of themselves, they think they’re always gonna win. Even after SG-1’s kicked their slimy butts dozens of times by now.”

 

“And the PAC?”

 

“They’re definitely more dangerous,” she said, “They don’t just charge at you in a line, or shout that they’re going to enslave you for their glory. They’ll sneak up on you when you’re asleep or snipe you on a patrol.”

 

“Sounds like a heck of a time then,” Max said, everyone’s faces surprised. “You don’t sound that bad about it all though.”

 

Lucy giggled. “Capt. Campbell made sure that if we went out, he’d do whatever it took to bring us all back. You’d all love to meet the platoon actually, they’re all really great and loads of fun. I mean they’re always singing and even dancing, and they know how to fight too.”

 

“Sounds like they’d fit right in,” Cana said, draining a tankard as she passed by. “Want your cards read Lucy? Maybe I can give you an in on what’s coming next.”

 

“Lucy!” Before Lucy could process the shout, she felt a light waif of a girl collide in a warm embrace only felt for friends and favorite relatives. “Oh my gosh I’m so glad you’re back!”

 

“Levy!” Lucy quickly returned the hug, laughing as Jet and Droy walked in behind their team leader. “It’s so good to be back, you’re just the person I was looking for!”

 

As the greetings flew, Makarov, Macao, and Wakaba all watched happily. “Amazing. You’d hardly believe that only a few months ago they were fighting for their lives against the most powerful dragon ever known.”

 

“No other way in Fairy Tail,” Macao said, smiling as Wakaba tapped out his pipe. “Oh, Wakaba, you smoking a new brand lately?”

 

Wakaba looked over in confusion. “Huh? Nah, course not. No other magic brand does the job like my usual.”

 

Macao shrugged. “Huh, that’s weird. Could’ve sworn I smelled new tobacco earlier when I came in today.”

  

“So girl, what’s the latest,” Levy said, setting down next to Lucy. “Home for a few days before going off again?”

 

“You’re the one I wanted to talk to actually,” Lucy said, wrapping an arm around Levy’s shoulders. “Remember Daniel? Well he asked if you could come with me to try and translate some writings he found.”

 

Levy’s eye were as big as he smile as she clapped her hands together. “He wants me to help him translate something? Oh my gosh, that’s so exciting! I can’t believe I’m going to go to another dimension! At least willingly this time.”

 

Jet and Droy suddenly rose up behind her, stern-faced and placing hands on her shoulders. “Nope, not happening,” Jet said.

 

“We’ve heard what you’re going up against out there,” Droy said, nodding in agreement. “We don’t want Levy going anywhere near that kind of danger.”

 

Levy’s annoyance was clear. “Uh, guys, that’s kind of for me to decide on.”

 

Both men responded simultaneously: “We’re just saying.”

 

A harder voice sounded behind the two as two massive hands grasped their skulls. “Maybe let her decide?”

 

Lucy looked up to see the wild black mane of Gajeel Redfox sticking between the two. “Oh, hey Gajeel, you just got back too?”

 

“Had a quest, earned a few coins from it. Good thing I got back when I did.” Gajeel forced the two wizards into the nearest bench and grinned down at Lucy. “Natsu already got to go out there, I say I deserve a turn too.”

 

Lucy rolled her eyes but kept smiling. “I figured you would, Gen. Hammond said you can come along too, but you need to behave yourself.”

 

Levy jumped up and wrapped her hands around Lucy again. “Oh, thank you Lucy! This is gonna be amazing, I can’t wait to go!”

 

As the two kept going on about the trip, Gray walked up to Natsu with a sadder expression. “Hey Natsu. How you doing?”

 

“I’m fine,” Natsu said quietly, taking another small bite out of his place. Happy nibbled on a plate of fish to the side, eyes downcast and unfocused. There wasn’t even a “Hi, sir!”

 

“How’ve your visits with Porlyuscia going?”

 

“Annoying,” Natsu mumbled. “That old hag keeps telling me how I need to do all this stupid stuff, but I’m fine.”

 

Gray wished he could just whip out an insult and get Natsu to react, but Col. MacKenzie had said Natsu’s problem was one that could be solved by getting him to fight. He’d even said fighting might worsen Natsu’s condition. “Master’s still making you go?”

 

Natsu looked away from Gray. “He said if I don’t I can’t come into the guild hall.”

 

Gray sighed. “What about you Happy? You alright?”

 

Happy barely looked up from his fish. “The fish isn’t as tasty as it usually is.”

 

Gray turned away and walked to Wendy, Carla, and Panther Lily across the hall. “Hey kid, can I talk to you for a sec?”

 

“Of course Gray,” Wendy said, looking up with a smile. “Is everything alright?”

 

“It’s Natsu,” Gray said, jerking his head back. “Has he taken any work since we left?”

 

Panther Lily shook his head. “Not a single job. He’s either sitting there eating food or trudging off to see Porlyuscia.” The black Exceed looked to Carla. “And Happy is just the same.”

 

“Wait, he’s just been sitting there drinking and eating all the time?” Looking back at Natsu, Gray saw that his stomach and arms were still toned. “There’s no way he’s been out on any work though.”

 

“Well when Natsu first came back after what happened everyone tried to get him to come along and work,” Wendy said, her voice small and hurt as she spoke. “Everyone wanted him to come with them on quests or small trips around Magnolia, but he just kept turning everyone down. Eventually everyone decided it would be better to just leave him be until he was ready.”

 

“I still don’t understand what he witnessed over there,” Carla said. “What kind of worlds has he been to, to turn the boy he was into what’s sitting there now?”

 

“ _You wouldn’t understand unless you were there,_ ” Gray thought. “ _There’s no way I can explain it._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so there's a tropes page for this series now! Feel free to contribute!
> 
> https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/AIsA


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Gen. Hammond watched as the center of the gate room lit up, and five figures appeared out of the bright flash. “Welcome back Ms. Heartfilia, and welcome to the…S…GC…”

 

The staff stared at the four other visitors as the four stared at themselves. Two looked relatively normal, even if the girl had blue hair and the skinnier black-haired man had his hair done up in a strange tail at the back. The other slim man wore a fur-trimmed coat, but what got everyone’s attention was the hat that stood at least two-and-a-half feet high on his head. The muscular man with long black hair seemed relatively tame, almost like a rocker, if it weren’t for the angry glare he was giving everything.

 

Lucy was still her effervescent self. Waving happily up to the control room. “Hi Gen. Hammond! Here’s my friends, Levy, Jet, Droy, and Gajeel!”

 

Gen. Hammond nodded, quickly ridding himself of his shock. “Welcome, all of you. Your rooms have already been made up, if you’ll come with us we’ll get you all settled in.”

 

“This is so weird,” Droy said, voice shaking a little as he turned his hand over. “I mean I know it’s my own body but…”

 

Gajeel growled, and ripped a piece of metal from the railing leading to the stargate. Before any of the staff could react Gajeel tore a chunk off and started chewing. “Hmm. Guess I can stand to stick around here for a while.”

 

“Gajeel!” Levy bopped Gajeel’s arm. “Don’t just go eating other people’s metal without permission! You don’t know if that was something important.”

 

Gajeel waved his hand around the room. “Please, they’ve got plenty of it.”

 

Jet ripped his hat off his head and let out a sigh. “Oh thank goodness, at least this is still the same.”

 

Gen. Hammond sighed. “If you’ll please come this way?”

 

Set in their rooms, the four new wizards followed Lucy up to the briefing room, where Gen. Hammond and Daniel were waiting. “Hey, Levy, it’s good to see you again.”

 

“Good to see you,” Levy said, smiling back as everyone was seated. There was a third man along as well. “And you are?”

 

Gajeel scoffed. “Col. Reynolds.”

 

Droy looked up. “How’d you know that?”

 

Daniel spoke up. “Maybe check the back of the laptop he’s carrying.”

 

O’Neill and Teal’c strolled in a few seconds later, O’Neill beaming as he saw the guests. “Levy, hey, welcome kid. Good to see you again.”

 

“Good to see you too colonel,” Levy said happily. “You too Teal’c.” Teal’c nodded as the two took their seats.

 

Gen. Hammond looked to Daniel. “Well, now that we’re here we can get started.”

 

“Right, well, uh, the writings from 636 seem to have a close similarity to Cuneiform, at least in terms of appearance. Only the problem is that the samples I’ve compared them to don’t match up, what’s worse I’m starting to think that my comparing them to Cuneiform is starting to color my perceptions of the translations.”

 

O’Neill’s eyebrows rose. “Admitting defeat, Daniel? What about that time on P-128, when you managed to get an entire planetary history from a few sticks and some modern art?”

 

“To be fair Jack, there were survivors.”

 

Col. Reynolds tapped away furiously with each word. “But you think this planet was still inhabited by human beings?”

 

“Well honestly I’m not sure about that either, I mean until we can do some digging I’m not sure about anything other than the structure still standing in the center.”

 

As Gajeel leaned back and stared at the ceiling, Levy held out a hand for some of the papers Daniel held. “So why is it you wanted me here?”

 

“Well you’ve never really been exposed to our languages before Levy, you might be able to give an outside view on everything we find as we translate.”

 

O’Neill spoke up. “Basically Danie’s saying your head’s emptier than his and it might come in handy.”

 

Gajeel laughed. “Big talk coming from some guy who needs to be told what he’s supposed to do all the time.”

 

“The important point is that we need your help, Ms. McGarden.” Gen. Hammond smiled as he took the reins from Gajeel. “Do you think you can assist Dr. Jackson in a timely enough manner for us to discover the purpose of this device?”

 

Levy gave a thumbs up. “Won’t be a problem sir, we’ll have those scratches translated in a week, two tops.”

 

“That’s what I like to hear Ms. McGarden. Now, while you’re all here there are certain procedures that need to be followed. Primarily, that while you are guests here you are restricted to this facility when not under escort. Ms. Heartfilia and SG-1 will be your points of contact while here. If you get separated from them, carry there.” Gen. Hammond passed around several cards with a phone number on them. “If you should find yourself lost and without a contact, find someone that can call that number for you. Remain by where they call from, we’ll move to pick you all up.”

 

Droy looked up. “You’re not exactly making it sound very safe out there.”

 

O’Neill grinned. “Well the last time we had witches and wizards running around in the open, it ended with burnings at stakes and a cultural revival in Europe. We’d kind of like to avoid that.”

 

Jet blinked. “Uh, the burnings or the cultural revival?” O’Neill shrugged.

 

“Well then, let’s get started,” Daniel said. “Levy, I’ve got all the pictures and some outlines in my office.”

 

Levy jumped up with a grin. “Let’s get started then, I can’t wait to see what languages are like here.”

 

The two were out of the room before Jet and Droy realized it, but as they started to move they were met at the door by Teal’c. “What capabilities do you both possess?”

 

“Well I use Plant,” Droy said, pulling several seeds out of one of his pouches. “I throw these babies where I need them, and tell them how and where to grow.”

 

Teal’c looked to Jet, and with a sly grin Jet disappeared and reappeared holding Gen. Hammond’s Master Space Operations Badge. “High Speed.”

 

O’Neill looked between Gen. Hammond, who was busy storming up and snatching his badge out of Jet’s hand, and Jet’s hat. “You can move that fast but you keep the stupid hat?”

 

Gajeel laughed. “Finally, someone else says it!”

* * *

Lucy waved as the cab drove off, turning to Carter’s front door and knocking. Carter opened a second later, surprised to see Lucy standing there. “How’d you get here so fast? Can you teleport now?”

 

Lucy blinked. “You were expecting me? I literally just got out of the taxi.”

 

Carter groaned. “Oh, right. C’mon in, I’d feel better knowing I’ve got some company right now.”

 

Lucy looked around the house as she followed Carter inside. “O-o-kay, Sam, did something just happen between my leaving and you answering the door?”

 

“You aren’t kidding sister,” Carter said, storming through her house as Lucy went to the kitchen bar. “I went out to grab the paper, there’s this guy standing outside just staring at me. I just thought he was a creep but then he appears in the house after I close the door and is just moving through my furniture.”

 

Lucy froze and started shaking. “Oh my gosh, Sam, are you telling me you’re being haunted by a ghost?!”

 

Carter laughed. “C’mon Lucy, ghosts don’t exist. There’s no such thing.”

 

Lucy glared at Carter. “This coming from a woman who travels between planets and dimensions with wizards, aliens, and the occasional robot.”

 

Carter laughed a little. “Okay, fine, but I haven’t seen any proof of ghosts being real, so I’m gonna think it’s an alien.”

 

“Alright, fine,” Lucy said, looking into some of the open doors. “Still, after everything that I’ve seen so far I don’t understand why you’re so worried about this.”

 

“I just don’t like the fact that I’m gonna have to try and find a way to explain this,” Carter said, shutting doors as she went through the house. “I mean what do I tell the response team? That a man just appeared inside my house and now I can’t find him? You didn’t see anyone leave right?”

 

“Sam, c’mon, of course they’ll believe you,” Lucy laughed a little, trying to shake off the idea that there was an invisible, intangible visitor in the house. “I mean how often has stuff like this happened to you? It’s not like Gen. Hammond hasn’t seen this stuff before right?”

 

“It’s not that simple Lucy,” Carter mentioned, sighed as she checked the stairs to the basement last. “We can’t just accept that this stuff exists because we see something, otherwise we’re just gonna go believing anything we come across. I know I saw that man, but what if I didn’t? I mean what if he was just part of my imagination?”

 

“But you just said you saw him,” Lucy said, trying to figure out why Carter was turning her thoughts around so suddenly. “Now you’re saying you don’t think he’s real?”

 

“Like you said, we’ve been through a lot,” Carter said, both managing to sound like she doubted her own words and yet accepting what had just happened. “And each time something like this happens we have plans in place to handle it to make sure.”

 

Lucy blinked. “So wait, you have to be treated like you’re crazy to make sure you’re not crazy?”

 

Carter laughed. “Welcome to the SGC.”

 

After two hours, O’Neill was walking with Carter through the house as a team of airmen swept the home for any trace that there had been a disappearing man inside. “So you said he just appeared in the house and then disappeared just before Lucy got to the door?” Lucy glared at the conversation, trying to ignore the fact that the house was still full of special-suited airmen waving detectors and sensors around the house and glaring at meters like they held all the answers.

 

“I know what I saw sir, I knew I had to call in to the SGC the second I saw it.”

 

O’Neill nodded, ignoring the look on Carter’s face as he turned to Lucy. “You see anything kid?”

 

Lucy snapped back to O’Neill. “No, I didn’t see anyone leave before I got to the house. Don’t you think this is kind of a lot though? Carter isn’t crazy.”

 

O’Neill groaned. “Fer cryin’ out loud, I know she isn’t.”

 

Lucy jerked a thumb toward the teams going over the house. “And them?”

 

“It’s a precaution,” O’Neill said, starting to sound annoyed. “If Carter really did see something we have to see if we can’t find it.”

 

As the trio spoke, the leader of the team came up. “Sweep of the house is complete sir, we can’t detect anything and the surveillance system is set up.”

 

“Surveillance system?” Lucy spat out as if it were a bitter pill. “You’re gonna spy on her too?”

 

“It’s to keep me safe Lucy,” Carter said. “If there isn’t anything here they’ll pull it all down after two weeks.”

 

Lucy was about to keep arguing when her face lit up. “Well if they think some stupid cameras will keep you safe, I’ve got something better. Open Gate of the Maiden!” A flash of light later, and suddenly there was one more person in Carter’s house. Virgo, the Maiden, bowing low in her maid’s uniform. “You summoned me mistress?”

 

The airmen in the house all leaned in to look, their eyes locked on like a Sidewinder on the back-end of a cargo plane. O’Neill turned and shouted, “Hey! Jobs people, get back to’em! Tell the cops outside the gas leak is handled and get outta here.” The airmen sullenly went back to finished their jobs, trying to puzzle out the connection between Virgo's maid outfit, the two chains on her wrists, and the fact that Lucy carried a whip.

 

“Virgo, you remember Maj. Carter right?”

 

“Of course mistress,” Virgo said, turning and bowing to Carter. “It’s a pleasure to see you again miss.” As Virgo bowed, several airmen (and O’Neill) leaned to try and be at a rewarding angle before Lucy started glaring.

 

Carter nodded, grinning at the incredulousness of the situation. “Uh, hi. How’ve you been?”

 

“Virgo, how long do you think you can stay outside the Celestial Spirit World?”

 

“As long as you command mistress,” Virgo said dutifully as she stood up to the sighs of several young and single airmen. “Am I to understand you will be staying with Maj. Carter then?”

 

“No, I need to keep an eye on things at the SGC. With how Natsu acted, Gajeel would probably be worse if he let loose.”

 

Carter blinked. “Wait, what? Lucy, no, I don’t need anyth- Anyone watching over me like this.”

 

“Well what if he comes back?” Lucy smiled happily. “A bunch of cameras aren’t going to do you any good if this guy’s dangerous are they?”

 

“I promise I’ll defend Maj. Carter with all my power mistress,” Virgo said, face still placid as she stood with proper bearing in the center of the living room. “Nothing will happen while I am guarding her.”

 

Carter figured that the extra protection was a good decision given the circumstances. “Alright, alright. Thanks Lucy, I think it will be a good idea. Virgo, do you need an extra bed? Somewhere to sleep?”

 

“I’ll be fine mistress,” Virgo said flatly, suddenly laying prone on the floor. “This is more than enough for me.” As Carter tried to figure out how to take being called mistress, the surveillance team started to leave the house stone-faced and silent as Lucy shrugged.

* * *

“And when the fleet was detected, the nations of the world came together realizing that there was only the solution of unity to face the coming crisis.” Levy scribbled down the information and smiled as she looked up. “Well they like to use some rather romantic syntax, you were right. The Goa’uld did find this world. So now the question is why it looks like they lost.”

 

“If it was against the Goa’uld,” Daniel said half-heartedly as he worked on his blackboard. “Do you remember what this symbol means?”

 

Levy flipped through her notes. “Here it is, ‘Cause’, but it could also mean ‘unity’.”

 

Daniel muttered to himself. “And the cause of the planet…” He quickly erased the words and tried again. “And the united planet moved forward with their goal. So they did succeed in unifying the planet.” Daniel’s face paled. “This probably means the entire planet was occupied.”

 

Levy’s expression darkened significantly. “Meaning they were probably all wiped out. Those poor people. But who did it then? It can’t have been the population themselves, why wipe themselves out?”

 

Daniel remembered his own experiences with mind control and manipulation technologies. “Oh, you’d be surprised at what some people will do to themselves.”

 

Levy sighed, going back to the pictures of the planet along with the pillar of writing. “I mean it isn’t all that different from back home though. There’s plenty of destroyed and vanished civilizations that we’ve seen.” Levy looked up. “It probably is a superweapon then.”

 

Daniel looked over in surprise. “That’s a pretty certain statement. How’d you figure that?”

 

“A quest our guild took on for the Magic Council,” Levy said. “Lucy went on it, it came down to destroying an ancient city and taking away Wendy’s only family.”

 

“Well she found Fairy Tail, as crazy as you all are I can imagine there are worse places for her to have gone off to.”

 

Levy shuddered as she thought of Ichiya from Blue Pegasus. “You’re not kidding about that brother.”

 

Jet and Droy sauntered into the room, grinning as they joined the pair in the office, Jet leaning on the doorframe and happily speaking first. “Hey, how’s it going with the translation?”

 

“Slow, steady work,” Daniel said patiently. The two had left a decidedly questionable first impression, and Daniel was trying hard to keep it from affecting him. “I don’t want to give a translation to Gen. Hammond until we’re both as sure of the translation we can get.”

 

“Well at least this place isn’t so bad,” Droy laughed. “Levy, you’ve got to see this TV thing they’ve got here, there are people inside this little box and they use magic to change how they look and talk every half-hour. It’s so different from a play, there’s so much variety.”

 

Daniel was about to try explaining how the TV really worked when Gajeel sauntered up next, chewing on something Daniel couldn’t see. “What’s taking so long already? I’m getting bored to death sticking around here.” Raising his hand, Gajeel took a bite out of what Daniel realized that it was a pistol Gajeel was chewing on. The dragon slayer noticed Daniel’s stare. “What, you got something you wanna say?”

 

“Uh,” Daniel said, gathering his thoughts. “Where’d you get that pistol?”

 

“Off one of those idiots in the berets,” Gajeel said with a laugh. “Just pushed him into one of those little broom closets when he started complaining. Tastes a lot better than most of the metal around here.”

 

Daniel was about to state why this might have been a problem when Teal’c appeared behind Gajeel. “ _Oh, this isn’t gonna end well._ ”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Gen. Hammond glared at Gajeel, the dragon slayer sneering as he saw in the general’s office. “Mr. Redfox, I’m willing to make certain concessions to accommodate allies of the SGC should they visit our facilities. However, I do take issue with said visitors assaulting my officers and destroying their weapons.”

 

Gajeel laughed. “Please baldy, I didn’t even bruise him.”

 

Levy glared at Gajeel. “Stop it! General, I’m so sorry about this, I really am. We’ll do whatever we can to replace the pistol and make it up to the airman.”

 

Gajeel scoffed again. “You can if you want, I’m not sorry.”

 

Gen. Hammond glared at Gajeel. “Tell me Mr. Redfox, you’re a dragon slayer correct? Are all of you so indignant or just the ones who belong to Fairy Tail? You knew that on this base there would be rules to follow, and already you have violated several.”

 

“So what,” Gajeel said, rolling his eyes as he kicked his boots up onto Gen. Hammond’s desk. “What, you think you can actually do anything to me?”

 

“Gajeel!” Levy jumped out of her chair with a loud shout. “Knock it off, Gen. Hammond’s our friend.”

 

“He’s a stuffed shirt,” Gajeel said, bored as he picked about in his ear. “He wasn’t on Tenrou, he wasn’t the one who helped beat Acnologia. He just sat her on his fat ass and barked at people to do what he said.”

 

Gen. Hammond’s temper nearly burst, but there was a reason he was a general. He had stared down Goa’uld system lords and not blinked. He had faced conspiracies within his own government and protected his people while punishing those he could get his hands on. Even with the magical powers to level the base and turn him into a smear on the mountainside, Hammond knew a mouthy punk when he saw one. There was no reason to get angry. All he needed was to do was do what any officer used to punish someone out of their hands.

 

Embarrass their leadership.

 

“I’ll be contacting Mr. Makarov about this then,” Hammond said, face placid as he spoke. “I’ll let him know exactly how you’ve acted during your single day at this base. Particularly the ill-tempered manner in which you’ve decided to speak to a superior.”

 

Gajeel glared at Gen. Hammond, standing up and glaring down. Hammond didn’t even change his expression. “You wanna try saying that again, chrome-dome?”

 

“Gajeel, that’s enough!” Levy started tugging futilely at Gajeel’s arm. “General, I’m so sorry about this. I’ll take Gajeel back immediately and come right back to keep helping Dr. Jackson.”

 

Gajeel glared back at Levy. “What, you’re taking his side now? Don’t listen to him, look at what they did to Natsu.”

 

“That’s none of your business,” Levy barked, still futilely pulling Gajeel’s arm toward the door. “We came here to help and you aren’t mister. Now you come on, if Gen. Hammond thinks you're causing trouble you should leave.”

 

Gajeel easily pulled his arm away and kept glaring down at Levy. “Hey, I decide when I want to leave, and it won’t be because some bald fat jerk tells me I have to.”

 

“He said he’s gonna tell master,” Levy said, glaring right back. “You think he’ll be happy to hear what you’ve done already? Don’t make it any worse Gajeel.”

 

Gajeel gripped Levy’s arms and lifted her so that their eyes were level. “What’re you so worried about? He can’t do anything.”

 

“I can alert the leadership of the MVTF that Fairy Tail’s teams are at best reliable without a dragon slayer,” Gen. Hammond barked. “I’ll admit that the SGC has had a good number of individuals inside and allied with it possessing more character quirks and idiosyncrasies than I have ever expected to know in my life. I notice that of the two dragon slayers I’ve met so far, you both are the most disrespectful and ill-tempered individuals I’ve ever had to wrangle.”

 

“Get over yourself,” Gajeel sneered. “That jerk O’Neill didn’t act like a saint.”

 

“Colonel O’Neill has proven to myself and the entire SGC that any flaws he has are balanced out by a strong sense of duty and morality.” Gen. Hammond’s voice was rising. It was one thing for him to be insulted, but this man was talking about an officer that had done his duty to his nation and then some. “You, sir, just came along for no reason I can fathom aside from what appears to be the express purpose of causing trouble.”

 

Gajeel’s fist got tighter with each word. “You trying to start a fight fat man?”

 

“You’ve already made it clear you don’t have any concern for anyone aside yourself son,” Gen. Hammond barked. “The other two young men may not be able to assist Dr. Jackson in the translations, but they at least acknowledge that they’re in a different place that won’t allow what you seem to think you’ll get away with because you seem to think no one is willing to stop you.”

 

Gajeel’s teeth were bared now, his hot breath washing over Gen. Hammond’s placid face. “You think you can old man?”

 

“General Hammond will not have to.” Everyone turned to see Teal’c standing in the conference room glaring at Gajeel. “If you will leave of your own volition, then you shall be removed by forcible means.”

 

Gajeel wheeled toward the Jaffa and stormed past Levy to get into Teal’c’s face. “And what are you gonna do freak, yap like a dog for your bald fat master?”

 

“Gen. Hammond has requested you submit to his authority while in this facility.” Teal’c’s face didn’t break as Gajeel glared at him. “In case it is not clear to you, he is the commander of this facility. His orders must be followed.”

 

“Gajeel, just knock it off,” Levy shouted. “We’re gonna just go back, we’re making master look bad.”

 

“If we're leaving you’re not coming back,” Gajeel barked. “After what these bastards did to Natsu I’m not so sure any of us should be here.”

 

“Natsu’s own personal situation is not cause to judge the SGC or MVTF as a whole.” Teal’c’s voice went low, but his eyes were afire. “Cease insulting my friends and leave this facility peacefully.”

 

Gajeel grabbed Teal’c’s shirt and wound up. “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready!”

 

Teal’c reacted instantly, pushing Gajeel off-balance and slamming the wizard to the floor. In a harsher voice he shouted, “Cease this immediately!”

 

Gajeel sneered and roared. A stream of dark iron particles pushed him up, Gen. Hammond covering Levy with his body as shrapnel slammed into his body and tore his uniform. Gajeel flipped at an angle, slamming Teal’c onto the floor before he jumped up and tried to kick at Teal’c. Teal’c rolled away and sprang up, launching himself at Gajeel’s midsection. Gajeel tried to bring his fists down on Teal’c’s back, but Teal’c’s inertia carried both right out into the corridor and threw Gajeel hard into a wall. Teal’c sprang back, bringing his hands behind Gajeel’s head and pulling it to his knee. Gajeel pushed Teal’c away, and with a shout threw out a fist. A fist that turned into a metal pillar. Ducking, Teal’c felt the air shift as the metal beam slammed into the other end of the corridor, a poor airman running to respond to the commotion unable to realize just what he ran into as his face slammed into the beam as he tried to round the corner.

 

Teal’c leapt forward, dodging more metal beams as he got up close and personal with Gajeel. Unfortunately Gajeel’s skin had turned from flesh to metal, and each hit only did more damage to Teal’c than Gajeel. Gajeel grinned, Teal’c moving back as Gajeel’s arm turned into a great metal club that practically took up the width of the hallway. “What’s wrong, that thing in your gut not good enough to take on a dragon slayer?”

 

Teal’c didn’t answer, the airman taken out by the metal beams groaning as he shuffled trying to pull himself up. Levy looked out into the corridor from behind Gen. Hammond, cringing as she looked over the damage. “This base is made to take some hits right?”

 

“It was built for impact from a nuclear detonation,” Gen. Hammond said confidently, forgetting that Levy had no context for what a nuke was outside of “Thing that destroys other things”. “I’m more worried about my people, can you stop him?”

 

Levy tried to think of a spell she could use to stop Gajeel, and quickly crossed her arms tightly across her chest before throwing them toward Gajeel. “BIND” appeared suddenly flying at Gajeel, flying yellow letters speeding down the corridor. Gajeel’s eyes went wide, but dropping low he dodged the letters and grinned as they sped down the corridor. “Not now Levy, I’m almost done here.” Worse, Jet and Droy ran down the opposite end of the corridor, and like the poor airman on the opposite side arrived too early to be of any help and too late to avoid the words. The letters wrapped around the two, and they fell to the floor shouting at each other.

 

Levy cringed, watching as Gajeel stood up and stomped toward Teal’c with a diabolic smile on his face. “I get it Levy, you’ve never been much of a brawler, but that’s why I’m-” Gajeel stopped, as Levy stood in front of Gajeel with her arms stretched as far across the corridor as she could. “What the? Hey, get outta the way, I’ve gotta finish this!”

 

“You’re only making things worse Gajeel,” Levy said, forcefully as she could despite Gajeel’s size compared to hers. “The MVTF are our friends, and you’re attacking them because you don’t like the fact that they’re standing up for themselves when you did something wrong!”

 

Teal’c stood up, muscles tenser than before. Himself in danger, even the other military personnel of the SGC, that he could remain stoic in the face of. Any of the other teams, even the civilian staff, that would rile him. Something about this was different. Compared to Gajeel, Levy’s diminutive stature compared to Gajeel’s massive metal frame terrified him. He was barely holding his own again Gajeel. Levy wouldn’t stand a chance.

 

“C’mon, I’m not gonna let that bald jerk make me look like an idiot.”

 

“He didn’t need to Gajeel,” Levy said, pointing to the damage already inflicted along with the wounded airman being tended to by his buddies. “You did that well enough yourself!”

 

Gajeel’s face twitched slightly, edging forward slightly. Teal’c saw Gen. Hammond tense as well, probably knowing full-well that if he got between Gajeel and Levy it would mean the SGC would be put under someone else’s command for a month if he was lucky. “You know what they did to Natsu, all their stupid rules are just making things confusing!”

 

“What’s so confusing about not being a jerk to people?” Levy pointed at Gajeel with a stern glare. “You know things are different here, why didn’t you ask if you could eat one of those guns before just snatching it out of their hands?” Gen. Hammond and Teal’c shared a look but decided to let Levy continue. “Why’d you come along huh? Just to make people angry at us?”

“Course not,” Gajeel barked, his arm turning back to normal. “I just-”

 

“You know, I thought I could give you a chance after you left Phantom Lord,” Levy said, crossing her arms as she glared up at Gajeel. “I thought you really had changed when we were on Tenrou for the trials. But no, you’re still the same jerk that wrecked our guild hall and attacked us.” Pushing past Gajeel, Levy stormed to her teammates and undid their binding. “I’m taking you back to Fairy Tail, and you’ll get to tell master exactly what you’ve been doing.”

 

Gajeel tried to argue, but Levy’s glares combined with the sudden increase in armed airmen held him back. He kept sputtering and stammering, trying to get Levy to listen to him, but she led Jet and Droy down the corridor past the airmen to the gate. Teal’c moved to Gen. Hammond’s side as they walked off. “Two dragon slayers, two easily-antagonized individuals. Is it possible, Gen. Hammond, that there is something to their personalities that we must consider a factor?”

 

Gen. Hammond started to answer when Daniel’s voice cried out. Looking back, they saw Daniel bending down to pick up several papers, rubbing at his nose. “Uh, did we do some re-decorating?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

“Unbelievable,” Alzac said, looking over to see Gajeel and Natsu sitting side by side staring down at two half-eaten plates of food. “It’s been a whole week but they’ve just both been sitting there.”

 

“Maybe we really shouldn’t be going to that other dimension,” Max said, watching as Gajeel threw some bolts into his mouth. “I mean that’s both our strongest dragon slayers gone there, and bother come back looking like that?”

 

Cana leaned back and waved her hand. “So their egos got bruised, big whoop. They’ll bounce back eventually, and then we’ll have all their usual crap to deal with again.”

 

“It’s been over a month and Natsu’s still acting like he is though,” Bisca pointed out. “You don’t think the same thing’s gonna happen to Gajeel do you?”

 

“Gajeel’s mistakes have been answered for,” Makarov said, walking over to their table. “I’ve sent Levy back with my express apologies for what’s happened and to compensate for any damages incurred.”

 

“I just don’t get it though master,” Max said. “Why are we still involved with this MVTF thing? I mean after what happened to Natsu aren’t you worried about everyone else?”

 

“Nonsense,” Makarov said proudly. “I know my guild will still be safe working with the MVTF. No one else has suffered for their travels.”

 

The doors to the guild hall swung open, and Erza trudged in with great bags under her eyes and a scowl that would put a Jesuit to shame. Everyone looked at her shuffle in, and glared at Makarov. “Ah, Erza,” he said, ignoring the glares. “Something I can help you with?”

 

“I need to go back to the SGC master,” Erza said, her voice gravelly like an unpaved road. “I’ve tried to not think about it, but I can’t put it off. The SGC needs to know what that thing might be that we found on the planet.”

 

Makarov looked up with interest. “Is it dangerous?”

 

Erza nodded. “More than they know, sir.”

* * *

A week of waiting and a clean psych eval had finally paid off, and as Carter left the surveillance team to her house to clear out the gear she thought about what she would hear from Daniel and Levy regarding the structure on 636. Getting off the elevator, she saw O’Neill waiting to meet her. “Oh, hi sir.”

 

“Carter,” O’Neill said, walking with Carter to the conference room. “So, nothing?”

 

“I guess the cameras as keeping him off my back sir,” Carter said, smiling as she strolled through the corridors. “That and Virgo hovering around the place. I mean I like how she’s always keeping things clean but it is kind of annoying.”

 

“Think you can send her my way?” O’Neill tried to play off the look Carter gave him as he led the way through the door to the conference room. “General.”

 

“Col. O’Neill, Maj. Carter.” Gen. Hammond turned to a man in a suit with curly black hair leaning back in his chair next to Col. Reynolds. Levy, Jet, Droy, and Daniel were all glaring at him. “This is Agent Simmons, with the NID.”

 

O’Neill’s eyebrows nearly flew off his face. “Sir?”

 

“The NID has been mindful of the damage caused by Col. Maybourne’s rogue operations Col. O’Neill,” Simmons said patiently. It was clear he’d given this speech already. “We're hoping to initiate a new relationship with the SGC. For now, we should focus on the task at hand.”

 

“I see they haven’t cured the NID of clichés though,” O’Neill said flatly as he and Carter sat down. “So, Daniel, any luck?”

 

“Well we translated the whole column, and it confirms that it was a superweapon,” Daniel said flatly, trying to ignore Col. Reynolds as he tapped away on his laptop. “It seems the inhabitants of the planet developed roughly along the same track as we did; agriculture, city-states, until about two hundred years ago when they detected a Goa’uld fleet above the planet.”

 

“They thought they would have to form a makeshift fleet, and use what few weapons they had to try and fight off the Goa’uld long enough for their ground forces to make an invasion too costly.” Levy slid over the mid-point of the column. “Something happened though, about twenty years before the Goa’uld managed to get into their solar system several of the world’s leading scientists came together and announced that they’d developed a weapon capable of stopping the Goa’uld.”

 

Simmons leaned forward. “Well to be perfectly frank, it doesn’t appear that the weapon was very successful then. I mean that planet is in ruins, there’s no trace of any life on it.”

 

“Not correct,” Daniel said, his voice haughty as he corrected the NID agent. “The lower third of the column mentions that on the day the Goa’uld arrived they assembled what ships they could in case the weapon wasn’t able to destroy all the enemy ships. Turns out they didn’t need to worry about that, since on the first activation of the weapon they wiped out a fleet of six ha’taks and all Goa’uld aboard.”

 

“The scientists who designed and built the device were hailed as heroes, and it was stated that once they were secure they planned to expand to the stars.” Levy pushed a picture of the final third of the column forward. “That’s where the history is cut off.”

 

Reynolds tapped away and looked up at last. “Cut…off. So, what do you think happened after?”

 

“Well considering they had the time to scribble down that the designers were heroes, safe to say the weapon wasn’t immediately dangerous to them.”

 

“ _Interdimensional activation, all teams to standby!_ ”

 

The room jumped to action, following Gen. Hammond down the spiral stairs to the control room. “It’s MV-1’s IDC sir,” Harriman said.

 

Gen. Hammond grabbed at the microphone. “All teams standby.” Watching the floor, he saw two female forms shape out of the bright lights and become Erza and Lucy. He gave a nod and ordered, “All teams, stand down. Have Ms. Scarlet and Ms. Heartfilia escorted to the briefing.”

 

It only took five minutes for the two women to be taken to the conference room, but it only took a second for everyone to recognize the determined look on Erza’s face. “Gen. Hammond, you need to destroy that device on 636.”

 

“Fortunately that isn’t your decision to make,” Simmons said, face passive as he surveyed Erza. “This is precisely the kind of technology we can utilize to protect ourselves against the Goa’uld, and unless you have a better means it’s what we’re going to pursue to do so. My concern is how you seem to have concluded that we need to destroy it.”

 

“The device resembles a dangerous weapon in our world,” Erza said, glaring at Simmons hard enough that Reynolds started to inch away from the man. “The Tower of Heaven.”

 

Only team Shadow Gear reacted to the words with shock, O’Neill waited for them to process before saying anything. “Erza, that thing on 636 doesn’t exactly reach to Heaven.”

 

Lucy facepalmed. “O’Neill, that’s not the point we’re making here.”

 

“The Tower of Heaven was an immensely powerful magic system,” Erza said as she pressed on. “It was to be used to resurrect the dark wizard Zeref, we were barely able to stop the wizards using it before it could be activated. Not even Etherion could stop it.”

 

“Etherion is some kind of weapon system then?” Simmons got a nod. “Well, that’s just another to add to the list.”

 

“The list?” Lucy and Erza shared a look. “What list?”

 

“Of systems that we could use to defend ourselves that we're not getting,” Simmons said. “Since this little club was formed the entire goal was to assist each member with defense and technological development. Well at this point we’ve done plenty of helping but haven’t exactly gotten much help.”

 

“That’s not true at all,” Daniel said, a little more animatedly than before. “We’ve had assistance multiple times from each team to resolve situations involving the Goa’uld.”

 

“And in return we’ve gotten no technologies, Dr. Jackson. Has GDI given us the designs to build an ion cannon network in case the Goa’uld return? Are we getting any assistance from the European Union regarding space-based EMP platforms? For Pete’s sake, even having Overwatch give us some new firearms would make things a little easier around here.”

 

Lucy leaned over to Erza. “Whoever Pete is, they sure mention him a lot when we’re around.”

 

“You can’t think that just because they haven’t given us the specifics on their technologies that they won’t eventually,” Carter said, finally speaking up. “We just need time to work out the specifics.”

 

“The Pentagon shares the opinions of the NID on this matter.” It was clear from his expression that Gen. Hammond didn’t. “However, they have agreed that the scale of devastation on the planet requires further study. After two weeks SG-16 will test fire the weapon.” The teams groaned, but Reynolds looked confused and even a little hurt. Agent Simmons didn’t share the same obvious emotional scruples. “In that time, I want any and all possible information on why that planet’s population was wiped out _after_ a successful use of the weapon.”

 

Simmon’s face fell. “Surely you’re just being overly-cautious, sir. We know that Apophis is building up his forces, waiting to test this weapon instead of seeing what it can do-”

 

“Is no different than the tests at Trinity.” Gen. Hammond glared Simmons down. “If you have an issue with my plans there’s a red phone in my office that you can use to call the man with the authority to tell us both otherwise.” The mention of the red phone forced Simmons off the issue.

 

“Sir, I’d like to assist on-planet-“

 

“Denied major,” Gen. Hammond said bluntly. “Dr. Frasier still has you on leave for another two days, and I’m not about to go against her medical opinion.” His face softened, seeing Carter’s expression of annoyance turning into defeat. “Go home major, use the time you have to relax. Whatever way this test turns out I’ll need my people at their best to handle what comes after.”

 

Carter nodded, but her defeat was hard to hide. “Yes, of course sir.”

 

Gen. Hammond started to go to his office when he saw Erza and Lucy still in the conference room. “If this is something you want to continue talking about, I suggest we do it behind closed doors.”

 

Once inside Gen. Hammond’s office, Erza waited for the general to sit before opening up. “General, sir, this is a terrible decision and you can’t afford to let that weapon be activated.”

 

“I have my orders to follow Ms. Scarlet, I don’t get to pick and choose. And as much as I’m loathe to admit it, the NID does have a point. GDI and the EU are still reviewing their policies before they let us acquire their satellite systems, and coupled with Winston being only one man, er, ape, we have to use what measures we have available.”

 

“This is so ridiculous sir,” Lucy said. “How do you know we can trust that Simmons guy? Compared to what Gajeel did-”

 

Gen. Hammond’s expression suddenly darkened exponentially, and before Lucy could take it back he was already on the comment. “Agent Simmons has not assaulted my teams or damaged my base. The NID may be full of snakes, but I’d rather risk snakebite than dragons nearly killing my people because they can’t adapt to new ways of thinking.” Erza and Lucy started to speak but Gen. Hammond had officially caught a scent and went for blood. “I’m willing to accept the fact that Mr. Fullbuster tends to for some reason rip his clothes off, because he’s able to understand that there are rules here he needs to follow, the same as both of you. As much as Capt. Parker’s personal views may be offensive, he understands the stakes in this game, the same as both of you. And despite their incredible naivety, two teams of high school girls can behave in a more proper manner than either dragon slayer I’ve had to deal with.”

 

Lucy’s hand flew to cover her mouth as Erza struggled to speak for a moment. “You’re saying that you think that just because they’re dragon slayers…”

 

Gen. Hammond shook his head. “None of the other members of this task force have displayed the same personalities as Natsu and Mr. Redfox. Col. Mustang is a professional soldier, Korra and the brothers are focused on their duties back home, and Ms. Shimmer is more than mindful of what magical power can do. Don’t either of you find it concerning that the two grown men in Fairy Tail with that specific type of ability are both so emotionally unstable?”

 

Erza held back before mentioning Wendy. No one in Fairy Tail had considered involving her with the MVTF, but then no one had really considered her as dangerous like Natsu and Gajeel. But then, no one had considered Natsu and Gajeel that dangerous because of how they acted, to them it was just who both men were. Here, Natsu had been unable to handle being part of the MVTF and now Gajeel was considered a danger.

 

“Wait,” Lucy said, looking up. “What about when we were helping Capt. Campbell’s platoon? No one had any problems with how Natsu acted then!”

 

Gen. Hammond nodded. “That may well be. Only Natsu had no idea he was killing anyone until he went to Cimmeria did he? What would have happened if he hadn’t been using his full abilities, if he knew he needed to kill the enemies in front of him to get the job done? I mean how did he not realize what was happening in the first place?” Erza and Lucy couldn’t answer, and Gen. Hammond went to his desk and shook his head. “I don’t pretend to understand what life is like in Fiore, but if they can’t accept that there are different rules for different dimensions, they have no place in this organization.”

 

Erza nodded, straightening herself as Lucy’s face turned into a grimace. “I understand sir. We’ll take our leave now.”

 

As the two left and shut the door behind them, Gen. Hammond leaned back in his chair and sighed. “ _How do those chains feel George,_ ” he said to himself. “ _Still think you should've turned down retirement?_ ”


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Carter rubbed at her forehead, walking back into her house to see Virgo dutifully waiting for her behind the door. “Welcome back mistress.”

 

Carter sighed, hanging up her jacket and moving for the kitchen. “Hi Virgo. Look, you know you don’t have to call me that right?”

 

“Then what should I call you mistress?”

 

Carter sighed, grabbing a mug and turning to see a man sitting in her living room chair. “What the hell?”

 

“Please, don’t panic,” the man started to say, only for Virgo to leap at him. With the same placid expression, he watched as Virgo went through him and into the chair. “I know why you called those people here. Military protocol.”

 

“Of course you wait until they take the cameras away.” Glaring at the man, Carter went for her phone as Virgo quickly put the chair back.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Calling the Code 3 team back,” Carter said.

 

“Why? I’ll just hide again.”

 

Carter slammed the phone down. “Do you understand that I had to go through a psychological evaluation because of you? Do you even know what that is?”

 

“They think you’re crazy,” Orlin said, Carter watching as Virgo kept futilely trying to grab the man’s arm. “There were times on Velona when I thought I was losing my mind.”

 

Carter kept her hand on the phone. “Velona?”

 

“The planet you call 636,” he said, idly looking at Virgo’s efforts with curiosity. “I spent hundreds of years there. Then the first time I saw you…”

 

“Mistress, I can’t seem to actually grab hold of him,” Virgo said, no trace of emotion in her bubbly voice. “It’s most confusing.”

 

Carter sighed. “Virgo, just give it a break for a second.”

 

“Please,” Orlin said, looking back to Carter. “My kind are capable of a level of communication that shares our innermost essence.”

 

“Telepathy?”

 

“That is an invasion of privacy,” Orlin said quietly. “It doesn’t deal with thoughts or ideas so much as it is an exchange of spirit.”

 

Carter quickly put the pieces in place. “That’s what you did to me on the planet.”

 

“Unfortunately you passed out. Perhaps you weren’t prepared. I did learn about you though.”

 

Carter’s eyes narrowed. “What’d you learn?”

 

Orlin’s eyes seemed to mist a little. “That you’re a good person. That your heart is pure. That on the inside your spirit is as beautiful as you are on the outside.” Carter sighed and picked the phone back up. “You know I’ll just hide.”

 

“So what, you’re gonna stalk me for the rest of my life?”

 

“I only want to try again,” Orlin said, Virgo at this point resorting to simply poking a finger in and out of Orlin’s shoulder. “I believe a human can handle this, they just need to be…receptive.”

 

“Then will you turn yourself in to the SGC?”

 

“No.” Carter frowned. “But I’ll leave if you want.”

 

“Fine. What do I do?”

 

Orlin walked through the counter and stood across from Carter. “Stand there. Open your mind to the possibility of an existence not governed by the rules of science which you hold so dear.”

 

Carter looked back to Virgo. “Yeah, I think I get what you mean.”

 

“Now just close your eyes and-”

 

Carter glared. “Don’t tell me to relax.”

 

“Take it easy.”

 

Carter took a breath and shut her eyes. As Virgo watched, Orlin seemed to become a blur of shimmering light that enveloped Carter. Part of her wanted to act, but Carter had accepted Orlin’s actions willingly. As the light faded and Orlin’s form returned, Carter’s eyes ripped open and all she could say was, “Oh my God.”

 

“Not to interrupt mistress,” Virgo said as Carter came back to reality. “But I believe that the Code 3 team may have left behind a piece of equipment as well.”

 

“Left behind?” Carter shook her head off of the experience as Virgo pulled a clock from the wall. Taking it, Carter examined the back and saw extra wiring and a black rectangle in it.

* * *

O’Neill was strolling through the SGC to the bathrooms when he heard footsteps running toward him. “Sir!” Mentally groaning at the interruption, O’Neill turned to see Carter rushing toward him holding a wall clock. “Sir, look at this.”

 

O’Neill turned the clock over and tried to brace himself. “So?”

 

“So it was in my house,” Carter said, snatching the clock back indignantly. “The team was supposed to take all their equipment when they left. No cameras, no listening devices.”

 

O’Neill tried to ignore the growing pressure he felt as he replied. “So they forgot one.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

O’Neill paused. “No.”

 

Continuing on, O’Neill heard Carter keep beside him. “Sir, is the SGC secretly keeping tabs on me?”

 

O’Neill looked over. “Secretly?”

 

“Colonel, I did my duty in reporting the alien. Now everyone thinks I’m crazy.” As if to prove the point, a pair of civilian techs walking past gave Carter peculiar glances as they went. But then they gave O’Neill one too.

 

“Carter, the bottom line is that no one’s seen what you’ve seen. Until that happens, we’re gonna think you’re nuts.” Maybe the words were harsh, but O’Neill had to make sure the point got across. “Look, you okay?”

 

Carter sighed. “Sir, purely hypothetically as my superior, if this alien did show himself to me again-”

 

“Did he?”

 

Carter ignored the implication. “If this alien had the ability to show himself only to me, it would probably be better if I gathered as much information as I could, maybe even find a way of isolating him, before I mentioned it again right?”

 

O’Neill nodded. “Probably. Yes. I need to go pee?” Carter motioned to the door and let the subject drop.

* * *

Levy and Daniel walked into Carter’s lab to see her at a computer typing away with the files she’d asked for. “And that’s the last of it.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Levy hefted her half of the files down on the desk and went to look over at the monitor. “So what’re you working on Sam?”

 

“The Pentagon’s pressuring us to move up test-firing the weapon,” Carter said, sipping on a cup of coffee by her desk. “Thanks to your translations and SG-16’s latest report they want to activate the weapon as soon as possible.”

 

Levy’s smile collapsed. “No, they can’t, we still don’t know what happened after they fired it.”

 

“And how do they think it’s even possible?” Daniel tapped on some of the files. “I mean how do they know we have anything capable of activating that weapon?”

 

“They want me to look into a naquada reactor,” Carter said, tapping her screen. “It can be interfaced, but the problem is the burst of energy that makes it really dangerous.”

 

“Burst of energy?” Levy scratched her head. “But I thought all the technology here required a constant stream of electricity to function.”

 

 “Normally you’d be right,” Carter said, turning away from the screen for a second. “The thing is that for the weapon to generate the primary blast it uses it needs the core to essentially overload and release it as that blast. Only if I read these diagrams right, if you don’t release that energy the reactor will explode.”

 

Daniel whistled. “So if you’re gonna fire it you’d better be sure.”

 

“I’m trying to put in a buffer that would give us a wider window before we’d need to fire, but Gen. Hammond hasn’t given me much time to work.”

 

Levy shuddered. “Well however much time you have, just reading up on that thing gives me the creeps.”

 

Carter nodded. “You don’t want us to fire it.”

 

“Every time we’ve come up on some kind of magic superweapon, it winds up being something that will destroy or kill,” Levy said sadly. “Why would it be any different here?”

 

Daniel nodded. “A is A.”

* * *

Carter sighed as she walked back into her house, Virgo bowing loyally as Orlin waited beside her. “You’re late.”

 

Carter blinked. “What?”

 

“You’re usually home an hour earlier than this. I was worried.”

 

Carter scoffed. “Hey, whatever this is, this is not a relationship we have going on here.”

 

Virgo rose as Carter went into the living room. “I tried to tell him as much mistress, but he wouldn’t do anything but wait beside the door.”

 

Orlin ignored Virgo. “You still could have called.”

 

Carter laughed. “What are you talking about? You couldn’t pick up the phone if I did.”

 

Maybe Carter was just exhausted after her day, but Orlin’s eyes seemed to twinkle. “How do you know I couldn’t?”

 

Carter shook her head, but when she turned to her kitchen she saw there was a table with two plates, roses, and a candle in the center. “What the? How did you?”

 

Orlin smiled. “Surprise.”

 

Carter stared at the table. “How?”

 

“Things have been going well between us right?”

 

Carter shook her head, Virgo idly brushing some dust off the table. “Orlin, there is no ‘us’, I don’t see how there could be.”

 

“That was just because we used to live on different planes of existence. Even then you could still come to see me using whatever means you used to bring her here.”

 

Carter blinked. “You mean the mirror?”

 

Orlin’s face paled. “That’s what you’re using?”

 

Before Carter could explain, there was a knock on the door. “Oh crap, Orlin turn invisible.”

 

“He cannot mistress,” Virgo said flatly. “He is physical now. Observe.” To prove it, Virgo finally managed to poke Orlin’s shoulder.

 

Grabbing Orlin, Carter shoved him in a closet and went to open the door to see O’Neill and Teal’c. O’Neill held a pizza and a six pack of Coors, while Teal’c wore a cowboy hat and held a cassette tape. Jet and Droy stood behind them, wearing street clothes and thankfully without Jet’s favorite hat. “Hey, guys! What are you doing here?”

 

“Pizza and a movie,” O’Neill said, holding up the pizza.

 

Teal’c nodded. “ _Star Wars_.”

 

O’Neill nodded. “He’s seen it, what, eight times?”

 

“Nine.”

 

O’Neill nodded. “Figured it’d be the perfect way to introduce the boys here to our ways. I mean if Teal’c likes it, it’s gotta be okay.”

 

Carter blinked. “You’ve never seen _Star Wars_?”

 

O’Neill shrugged. “Well, you know me and sci-fi. C’mon, we never just hang out, and I figured…”

 

Carter smiled. “Sir, as much as I’m glad you thought of me…”

 

O’Neill tried to look around the door. “Do you already have company?”

 

“She does indeed,” Virgo said from inside. “The table is already set, and dinner is almost finished.”

 

O’Neill blinked. “I presume you’re gonna either send Virgo away or have a good explanation for the maid with chains around her wrists?”

 

Carter tapped at the door. “I understand why you’d think I wouldn’t have any plans sir.”

 

O’Neill shook his head. “Hey, don’t worry about it, we’ll find something else to do.”

 

“I’m really sorry,” Carter said as Teal’c led Jet and Droy away, the two still staring at what the strange world of “the suburbs”. “I mean I’m glad, it’s a great surprise.”

 

“Well good for you though,” O’Neill said. “Have pizza. And…fun.” Grinning, O’Neill turned away as Carter shut the door.

 

“Well that was a bust,” Jet said. “What are we supposed to do now, go back to the base?”

 

Teal’c spoke up. “I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of jello.”

 

O’Neill looked to Jet and Droy before tossing Teal’c his phone. “Call Daniel.” Loading up into O’Neill’s truck, the four drove off to Jet and Droy excitedly talking about “Jello Battle”. As they went, they passed a small black van where Orlin’s voice came over a speaker.

 

“ _You said the mirror?_ ”

 

“ _You’re the second person to react like this,_ ” Carter said. The man inside the van listened carefully to his headphones, as a partner scribbled away in shorthand. “ _The Asgard said that the mirror is somehow dangerous, but aren’t your people the ones who created it?_ ”

 

“ _I don’t think I can really explain the reason we abandoned the mirror,_ ” Orlin said. “ _If I knew where the rest of my kind were they might be able to explain it more effectively than I could._ ”

 

“ _We might have met one,_ ” Carter said excitedly. “ _On a planet called Kheb, her name was Oma Desala. She apparently wanted to help people ascend to a higher plane._ ” The man scribbling quickly underlined the name three times.

 

“ _That must be why I’ve never heard of her,_ ” Orlin said. “ _She was probably banished, like me._ ”

 

“ _Banished? What for?_ ”

 

“ _Breaking one of our most sacred rules: Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath. The humans of Velona were in danger from the Goa’uld. I couldn’t just watch them die, I knew I had to do something._ ”

 

The radio operator adjusted the gain as Carter spoke. “ _You’re the one who told them how to build the weapon._ ”

 

“ _Only communicating the knowledge,_ ” Orlin said. “ _They saved themselves._ ”

 

“ _Then what happened?_ ”

 

“ _At first it looked like the people of Velona would only use it for defense. Then their leaders planned to use it as a means to conquer the surrounding planets._ ”

 

The men put it together at the same time Carter did. “ _The others like you, they destroyed Velona for that? Didn’t they interfere too then?_ ”

 

“ _Collectively they decided that it was necessary to prevent further disaster. I was banished, forced to remain alone on Velona as punishment._ ”

 

“ _You couldn’t have known that’s what would happen,_ ” Carter said, voice a little softer. “ _But what now?_ ”

 

“ _I’m human. Mortal like you. I can never return without the others._ ”

 

“ _But why do all this then?_ ”

 

“ _As much for myself as for you._ ”

 

As the transcriber kept transcribing, the other moved to the driver’s seat. “ _If nothing happens between us, I’ll accept it. I just couldn’t go on without knowing._ ”

* * *

Carter was back at the SGC, watching as Simmons smiled thinly to the assembled experts at the briefing table. Levy had quickly leanred that Simmons wasn’t someone to welcome so much as glare at. “Another week should be more than enough to prepare for firing the weapon.”

 

Carter spoke up. “Sirs, we should wait.”

 

Simmons blinked. “Wait? Major, you’re the one who figured out how to use the reactor to power the device.”

 

“Because Gen. Hammond gave me a lawful order,” Carter said, emphasizing lawful very carefully. “You’ll also note that I put in the recommendations this is extremely dangerous.”

 

“The Pentagon feels that the dangers are worth the risks.”

 

Col. Reynolds tried to defuse the situation. “Going through the stargate is dangerous, but we all do that every mission.”

 

“Well I agree with Sam,” Levy said, speaking up. “We can’t find anything else on what happened to the people on that planet, we need to wait.”

 

“Need I remind you, Ms. McGarden, of the dangers we’re trying to defend against?”

 

“Gee, you’re right, Lucy and Erza haven’t told me about it since you mentioned it.” Levy scowled at Simmons. “It completely slipped their minds when they mentioned evil alien tyrants that these might be dangerous missions.”

 

Carter interjected again. “Sir, I believe that a massive atmospheric anomaly may have been responsible for the destruction of the civilization on 636.”

 

“You do?” Gen. Hammond tapped a manila folder. “That wasn’t in your report major.”

 

Simmons leaned forward. “Do you have evidence then, Maj. Carter?”

 

Carter cringed. “Not exactly. But we do need to perform a forensic environmental analysis at least.”

 

Reynolds spoke up, in his usual inoffensive voice. “We will, after test firing the weapon and when we can get the most accurate results.”

 

Daniel leaned over to Levy and stage whispered, “Not if you’re dead.”

 

Reynolds shot back. “There’s nothing to-”

 

Gen. Hammond quickly put in the final word. “Major, you have two weeks to bring to me any relevant evidence on why we shouldn’t fire this weapon. It you can give me a good reason, I’ll send it up and halt the tests. All of you, dismissed.”

 

Simmons looked like he’d not only been slapped, but that someone had keyed his car as it happened. “General, this decision does ultimately rest with the Pentagon.”

 

“Sir, we’ve already had a talk about the red phone in my office. Now the last time I checked, he is the boss of your boss. Unless you plan on calling the number on that phone, I suggest you let my people do their work.” Simmons again backed off, but this time he had a wider smile than before that made Daniel nervous. Shaking it off as best he could, Daniel and Levy made their way out and back to Daniel’s office.

 

“Man, I can’t believe I have to leave in a week,” Levy said, looking longingly at the ceiling. “I kinda did hope I could get out of here for a day.”

 

“Oh, sorry,” Daniel said. “We’ve been so caught up with all this I didn’t even ask.”

 

“Hey, it’s fine,” Levy said, smiling as she walked with Daniel. “I know there’s gonna be other chances to see this world, and hey, maybe even other worlds right?”

 

“Yeah, of course, I just feel like kind of a jerk keeping you working for so long.” Stopping at the elevators, Daniel smiled down at Levy. “Tell you what, once we finish the paperwork I’ll take you and the boys into town and buy you all dinner, how's that?"

 

Levy beamed. “That’d be great! Lucy said the food here is so different, but really tasty too. Hey, where are Jet and Droy anyway? I haven’t seen them since Col. O’Neill took them out.”

 

The elevator doors opened, revealing Jet and Droy standing in the elevator, stupid grins on their faces and stains on their clothes that Daniel thought looked like they came from jello.

* * *

Virgo pattered down the stairs to the basement, holding a plate of a ham sandwich and potato chips in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. The sounds of welding sounded from within, and when she saw the creation of Orlin’s starting to take shape she naturally didn’t react. “Orlin, your lunch is ready.”

 

Orlin looked up from the half-completed circle and nodded. “Oh, thank you.” Putting down the welding torch and observing his work, Orlin nodded. “It’s coming along better than I expected for the technology of this world. Shame about the microwave though.”

 

“I’m afraid I still don’t understand,” Virgo said, looking over the half-finished ring of titanium and cabling. “You think that by going back you can stop an activation of this weapon? How do you even know they will test it?”

 

“Because I’ve seen this before,” Orlin said quietly as he walked to his lunch. “Sam means well, maybe her friends do too, but I can’t believe those she works for will be as understanding. The Goa’uld are a threat, and this weapon is an answer to their problems.”

 

Virgo stood by patiently as Orlin ate. “Perhaps if you explained the situation to their commanders they would listen?”

 

“They’d see me as a test subject,” Orlin said. “You aren’t in danger because you belong to one of their allies. I’m on my own, and I don’t have the same protection.”

 

“I don’t see why they’d be so interested,” Virgo said, looking Orlin over. “You appear exactly the same as every other human I’ve ever seen. Why should they take such an interest in you?”

 

“I have knowledge they think they can use for their own ends,” Orlin said, wolfing down the sandwich and draining the milk in about two minutes. “They’ll probably imprison me, torture me for knowledge they won’t be able to utilize for a few centuries until they recognize the underlying theories that they need to apply. Thank you for lunch.” Finished, Orlin went back to his work on the device.

 

Virgo dutifully retrieved the plate and glass. “You know, perhaps you could come with my mistress to our dimension. Nothing would happen to you in Fairy Tail, and we have many other beings from other dimensions living there already.”

 

“Too dangerous,” Orlin said, running more cable. “Two beings can’t occupy the same space, I don’t know if I’m already there. Can you weld?”

 

“I can do whatever my mistress needs of me,” Virgo said, almost proudly. “However, she’s never asked me to weld.”

 

Orlin thought for a moment. “How much weight can you lift?” Virgo easily held up a crate with one hundred feet of fiber optics one handed. “Alright, I need you to hold this in place as I attach it.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Another week passed, and another week was spent by Gen. Hammond going over his information. SG-16 had made preliminary reports on the weapon and reported that it was still in good working order. With nothing truly left to do, Daniel sighed as he looked over Shadow Gear for their promised night out. “Okay, let’s go over it. What don’t we have here?”

 

The three responded at once, “Magic.”

 

“And what don’t we wear?”

 

Jet groaned. “Stupid hats.”

 

“And what can’t plants do?”

  
Droy rolled his eyes. “Grow in seconds.”

 

Daniel turned to Levy. “And why are you going to wear a hat?”

 

“Because people here don’t have naturally blue hair,” Levy said, fitting the knit cap she’d been given snuggly on her head. “Don’t you think this is a little overboard?”

 

“Hey, we’ve already had one close call,” Daniel said, thinking of when O’Neill and Teal’c had to deal with the likes of Ma'chello and Martin. “Last thing we need is people remembering a blue-haired girl and her friends with the weird hair.”

 

“Do I have to leave my hat though,” Jet said, looking longingly at his towering fur-ringed top hat. “I mean it’s my favorite.”

 

“Hey, we promised we’d follow the rules,” Levy said, smiling as she threw on a jacket. “C’mon, let’s try out some of this food here.”

 

Leading the trio out of the mountain to his car, Daniel drove from the SGC to Colorado Springs, the trio looking at the Colorado mountains in the purple twilight. Levy actually gasped as the shadow of night slowly advanced over the city, Daniel smiling as he pulled through the outskirts.

 

Jet whistled. “Wow, does everyone here have their own vehicle?”

 

Daniel nodded. “Yeah, most of them,” he said, stopping at a traffic light. “Pretty much every city is built around using a car to get around.”

 

“Well whoever makes them all must be a genius,” Levy said, looking from Daniel’s sedan to a massive boxy vehicle that looked almost exactly like the ones she’d seen leaving the SGC. “So where are we going?”

 

“Somewhere we won’t stand out,” Daniel said as the light turned green. “ _Hopefully._ ”

 

As Daniel drove on, Levy stared in fascination at the city. There was such a variety of people, from couples out on the town to families going to see a theater to joggers and dog walkers. Military friends out for some fun and teenaged girls clustered together chatting excitedly. A good number had “cell phones” out, talking or tapping at them as they walked. On one corner Levy saw a man playing the trumpet, a few passersby throwing change and paper into it. There were men with long hair in dreadlocks sitting on benches talking to others in leather jackets with shaved heads. It was so much like Magnolia, yet Levy was latched to the window with each sight of a new dimension.

 

“And here we are,” Daniel said, pulling into a lot of a squat building with red-and-white awnings over the windows and spotlights brightening the exterior. Over the main doors a red-and-white sign that read, “T.G.I. Friday’s”. “How old are you all again?”

 

All three responded, “Eighteen.”

 

Daniel nodded. “Great, okay, stick to the sodas then.”

 

Following Daniel up to the building, Levy saw that the place had a decent crowd inside. Some kind of sound system outside pumped out music, a group of men singing about “That Way” as Daniel led the trio inside. A peppy looking young woman in a red-and-white striped shirt smiled at the four as they walked in. “Good evening, welcome to Friday’s! Party of four?” Daniel nodded. “Okay, just give us a few minutes, and we’ll have a booth all set for you.”

 

Following Daniel to the side where there was a section cushioned for waiting customers, Levy almost felt like it was a miniature guild hall. Conversation flowed in and around the entire room. Laughs, loud whispers, clinking glasses and clattering plates. A group of men and women at the bar watched a trio of large TVs, tuned to a sports game of men in gray pinstripe uniforms and black caps versus a group of men in white uniforms with red lettering reading, “PHILLIES” on their fronts wearing red caps. One of the men in pinstripes threw a ball at one of the “Phillies”, but the man swung a wood club that sent the ball flying into a crowded stadium earning groans from the bar patrons.

 

Five minutes later, Levy was seated in the booth next to Daniel, wondering why Jet and Droy were glaring at him. Another bubbly waitress walked up to them, handing them four glasses of water and four plastic-covered menus. Jet and Droy interrupted their glaring to stare at the long-haired blonde standing before them. “Hi, welcome to TGI Fridays! My name’s Sarah, I’ll be your waitress tonight. Start you all off with something to drink?”

 

“Four Cokes,” Daniel said. He’d made sure to give the trio sodas earlier that week to make sure they wouldn’t have the same reaction as Bolin. As they waited, Daniel looked to Levy. “So, what do you think?”

 

“It looks like this place has a bit of a history,” Levy said happily. “I mean look at the walls.” Levy reached out and touched a _Jaws_ poster, hung below a picture of the Denver Fire Department from 1923.

 

Daniel nodded. “Yeah, well, this place is actually a franchise operation so this probably only got into the city a few years ago.”

 

Jet scratched his head. “A franchise?”

 

“It means that someone pays for the rights to call this place TGI Fridays,” Daniel explained. “They get a recognizable name, but in exchange they have to pay a yearly cost to the name’s owners in order to continue being TGI Fridays.”

 

“Wait, someone else owns the name?” It was clear the wheels in Droy’s brain were churning overtime to figure it out. “How do you own a name, isn’t that like owning a piece of air?”

 

“Well it’s a whole mess of copyright law and contracts and wow don’t these potato skins look delicious,” Daniel said, hoping to avoid a long night of explaining intellectual property rights and corporate decision making. He didn’t notice the van pulling in outside.

 

Eventually the food arrived, Droy needing three full plates stacked precariously in front of him. The three wizards dove into the food, Levy diving into a plate of shrimp and pasta as Jet devoured a cheeseburger. Droy had opted for a steak, some fish, and fried chicken along with heaping portions of sides. Daniel just took his time to enjoy the sliders he’d ordered as the trio dug in. “So, what’s the story with Gajeel anyway? I mean even Natsu seems like someone who fits in with Fairy Tail, but Gajeel strikes me as…different.”

 

Droy washed down a hunk of steak with a chocolate milkshake. “Well he was part of Phantom Lord up until a few months ago, but then he joined Fairy Tail.”

 

Daniel paused as he rolled over Gajeel’s personality with Fairy Tail’s guild. “So he liked Fairy Tail better?”

 

Jet grinned. “More like he didn’t have a choice. Their guild came after ours, their guild master was being paid to kidnap Lucy because her father didn’t like the fact that she wanted to be a wizard.”

 

Daniel rolled over the sentence. “Huh. Well it makes sense, I mean Teal’c did the same thing when we first met him after all. Still, takes a lot to betray your masters like that.”

 

“Betray?” Levy shook her head. “No, he didn’t leave until we destroyed Phantom Lord.”

 

Daniel started to put the pieces together. “When did you first meet Gajeel?”

 

Droy scowled. “We were the first ones Phantom Lord came after,” he said, Jet and Levy growing distant. “Gajeel found us and attacked us. By the time the rest of Fairy Tail found us he’d pinned us to a tree, hurt us pretty bad too.”

 

Daniel looked the three over. “Well it’s still big of you to make him a part of your team.”

 

“He’s not,” Jet said. “He just goes wherever Levy does.”

 

Daniel looked to Levy. “So on Tenrou and when you came here…”

 

Levy scratched her cheek with a finger. “Well, yeah, he kinda decided he’d be coming along himself.”

 

Daniel blinked. “And none of you ever find him doing that a little weird?”

 

The three looked at each other for a moment. No one had ever said that Gajeel’s actions were weird before. “I guess we never noticed it before. But he’s a good guy though,” Levy said a little too loudly. “After he came over to Fairy Tail he’s only ever been loyal to the guild.”

 

“That’s not my main concern,” Daniel said, his voice somehow both flat and emotionally charged simultaneously. “Look, it’s great that he’s trying to make up for it but isn’t it kind of odd that he just keeps deciding to butt into your decisions like this?”

 

“Well he hasn’t hurt us since,” Levy said. Daniel cringed. “What?”

 

Daniel took a long breath. “Here we have a lot of people who say the same thing. Only we call them victims of bullying, or even abuse.”

 

“Bullying?” Jet laughed, Droy shaking his head. “Do we look like schoolkids? We don’t get bullied.”

 

“So you’re saying that Gajeel treats you like guildmates?” Jet and Droy suddenly became very focused on their food.

 

“Well it’s not like Gajeel is evil though,” Levy said, almost sounding desperate. “I mean you just said that’s how you met Teal’c.”

 

“Okay, fair point, fair point.” Daniel looked down to Levy. “So why is it Gajeel apparently hasn’t stopped acting like he’s someone you don’t want to be around?” No one in the booth could give Daniel an answer.

 

“Wait,” Droy said, pointing at Daniel. “You work with that Simmons guy, and Levy keeps talking about how he wants to activate the weapon. You can’t tell us you like working with him.”

 

“You’re right, we do have to work with Simmons and the NID,” Daniel threw back. “Because no one else is in a position to keep an eye on them. We don’t pretend that they’re our friends, or even people we have to like, but we do keep them honest. Someone has to keep an eye on them, it might as well be us.” Daniel sighed, taking a long sip of his soda. “And I’m not saying Gajeel can’t become a better person, just that maybe you need to tell him that he’s being a jackass.”

 

Levy grinned a little. “Had to do this with Col. O’Neill?”

 

Daniel nodded. “He was a lot worse when I first met him,” Daniel said, thinking back to the first mission to Abydos. “Sometimes you need to confront someone to help them become a better person.” The conversation quickly died off after that.

* * *

Carter walked into the general’s office to see O’Neill, Gen. Hammond, and Agent Simmons staring at her.

 

“They’re testing the weapon,” O’Neill said, his voice resigned to defeat.

 

“I received an order directly from the president,” Gen. Hammond said, trying to not acknowledge the grim look Carter was giving him. “Col. Reynolds and SG-16 are on P4X 636, setting up a naquada reactor as we speak.”

 

Carter shook her head. “But sir, you said I’d have two weeks, it’s only been-”

 

Simmons spoke up, voice flat but his expression almost disappointed. “Nine days major. And I dare say you haven’t spent a single minute working on atmospheric weather anomalies.”

 

Carter glared at Simmons. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Simmons held up a sheet of paper. “Would you like to explain these deliveries?”

  
Carter blinked. “Deliveries?”

 

Simmons read it off. “One hundred pounds of raw titanium, two hundred feet of fiber optic cable, seven hundred-thousand Watt industrial strength capacitors, the list goes on and on. All ordered from your home computer.” He handed Carter the sheet, Carter snatching it away and reading the information.

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Carter said, quickly reading over the paper. “I’ve been here on base every day.”

 

Simmons pulled a set of photos from his jacket. “Oh, well maybe you’d like to explain who’s been accepting these deliveries.”

 

Carter snatched the photos and glared at them. They were pictures of Orlin over several days, accepting packages from several confused-looking delivery drivers. Her shock was plain as she spun on O’Neill and Gen. Hammond. “You have been watching me.”

 

“Not us, the Pentagon” Despite the firm tone of his voice, Gen. Hammond’s expression was one of meek apology. “I’m sorry major. I’ve expressed my anger and disappointment to the president regarding the investigation of one of my officers without my knowledge.”

 

“We have tapes of your conversation with the alien,” Simmons said, barely able to contain his relish.

 

O’Neill finally spoke. “At least we know there is one now for sure.”

 

Simmons stepped forward. “Would you like to tell us what’s going on major?”

 

“She doesn’t have to tell you squat,” O’Neill barked. “Maj. Carter was working with the approval of her superior officer. She told me he was there, I authorized her to collect as much information as possible.”

 

“I’m not here to lay blame colonel, I’m here as a courtesy.” Simmons turned to Carter. “As we speak an NID team is surrounding your house. On my command, they’re going to take the alien into custody.”

* * *

Paying off the bill (And giving a glare to Droy for his large appetite), Daniel led the way out of the restaurant to the now-dark night. The stars were only dimmed above them, Levy smiling as they walked and stretching out her arms. “Hmmmmm! That’s almost as good as the food at the guild hall. We should talk to Mirajane about trying to have some of those potato skin things.”

 

“Those are popular,” Daniel nodded, feeling his own meal settle hard into the bottom of his stomach. He’d had to do some good running to work it off later, but for now he just wanted to get Shadow Gear back to the base and-

 

“Freeze.” The voice held authority, and Daniel stopped as he reached for his keys. “You got cash, right? Throw it out behind you. All of you.”

 

“We just came out of the place,” Daniel said calmly, reaching for his wallet. Better to give the mugger what he wanted than antagonize someone that probably had a gun pointed at their backs. “I’ve only got a few bucks.”

 

“You’ve all got wallets, throw’em out.”

 

Daniel tried to think of a way to pass off the trio not having any cash when he saw a reflection in one of the rear view mirrors in the parking lot. The man had close-cut hair, a muscular build, and held his pistol up to eye-level with both hands with a focused eye. It was all tied together with his new clothes and muscular physique.

 

It wasn’t some junky desperate for cash, that was certain.

 

“Who are you working for,” Daniel said quietly, pulling his hand away from his wallet. “You aren’t interested in money.”

 

“Just shut up,” the man growled, more footsteps coming over the pavement. “Get’em in now.”

 

Daniel tried to keep his breathing under control. “You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

 

“Don’t bother,” the man barked. “Get’em in the van.”

 

Daniel said nothing as they were bound and herded into a black van far away from the restaurant. Droy and Jet struggled as much as they could, but the zip ties held and gave no room to move. Daniel just sat calmly on the floor of the van as their assailants loaded up with them.

 

The wizards were calm, that was a start. The men also weren’t paying my attention to anything, they thought they had won and won easily. “ _Okay, one real shot at this._ ” Waiting for every bump and sharp turn he could feel, Daniel edged closer to Droy and tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Of course, Droy was busy wondering what the hell Daniel was doing with his hands for a moment until he felt some spare seeds he’d decided to keep just in case moving around in his pocket. Shifting as subtly as he could, Droy noticed that the men didn’t seem to notice or even care how much two of their hostages were moving around. “ _What kind of idiots are these guys?_ ”

 

There was another bump, and Daniel lost his grip on the seeds. They scattered about the floor of the van, Droy smiling as he wriggled to grab one. The zip tie was starting to bite at his wrists, but he managed to grab one of the seeds and waited. He’d only have on chance to make this work.

 

The van started to make a sharp turn, and Droy activated the seed. Throwing it at the floor, Droy grinned as the seed sprouted into a vine that slammed the roof of the van. Off balance with a high center of gravity, Newton decreed that the van must fall. Jet took his own chance at launched himself forward, throwing his elbow into the face of one of the kidnappers. Daniel and Levy just braced themselves for the fall as Droy grabbed some more seeds. The van was suddenly filled with vines, dented and steaming as it lay in the center of the road.

 

“C’mon, get outta here!” The ringleader of the kidnappers pushed his way out of the wreck, his partners stumbling out of the back door as passersby and other drivers came to assist. The men scattered through the streets on the outskirts of the city, leaving Daniel and Levy stumbling out of the van.

 

“What just happened,” Levy grumbled, Jet throwing himself through the vines as Droy commanded his plants to shrink away before they were noticed. “Who were those guys?”

 

“No idea,” Daniel grumbled, face half-planted in the pavement. “Odds are we’ll find out when we get back to the base. Someone want to help me up, please?”

* * *

Carter crept inside her house, radio in-hand as she scanned the hall. Outside sixteen armed and twitchy NID operatives waited to rush her house and take Orlin into custody. Not noticing the empty spot on her counter, she called out. “Orlin? Virgo?”

 

Orlin answered from the basement. “Sam? Come on down.” Moving fast, Sam descended to see Orlin fiddling with her fuse box as Virgo held up a flashlight. “Orlin, what are you doing?”

 

Orlin kept working, connecting several wires into a junction. “Just a minute.”

 

Carter motioned to the house. “There’s a team of NID operators outside.”

 

“I know.”

 

“They wanna take you into custody.”

 

“I know, it’s okay.”

  
Carter paused. “Orlin, I didn’t turn you in.”

 

“I didn’t think you did.” Orlin put a clamp to the junction, sparks showering from the box. Several landed on Virgo, but she either couldn’t feel them or didn’t care. Orlin nodded and started moving to Carter’s work room. “Come on.”

 

Carter followed, trying to figure out what Orlin had done with so much titanium and cable, when she saw a miniaturized stargate in her work space. “Woah. You’ve been busy.”

 

Orlin nodded. “I didn’t think they’d let me go back to Velona through your stargate.” What struck Carter for a split-second was that even with everything that was happening Orlin still kept that calm, almost bored tone.

 

“So you built one?”

 

“Sort of,” Orlin said, Virgo placing her flashlight down and going to the basement stairs. “This won’t dial multiple addresses and will only create a wormhole once and burn out.”

 

“And you ordered the materials online?”

 

Orlin smiled apologetically. “Mostly. Sorry, but you’re going to have a pretty big credit card bill this month.” Carter didn’t seem to mind, approaching the mini-gate and running a hand over it as she inspected the work. “Oh, and you’re going to need a new toaster. I tapped into the main power line, hopefully we’ll be able to draw out enough energy.”

 

“And then what?”

 

Orlin grabbed two separate pieces of cable on the workbench and prepared to connect them. “I go to Velona and stop your people from firing the weapon.”

 

Carter turned back and went to Orlin, apology in her eyes. “You know they won’t listen to you, they have orders.”

 

Orlin replied with the same look. “Then I’ll have to make them listen.”

 

Carter shook her head. “They could kill you.”

 

Agent Simmons broke over the radio. “ _Maj. Carter, Maj. Carter report. Maj. Carter, respond immediately. Carter._ ”

 

O’Neill came in suddenly. “ _Carter, what are you doing?_ ” A break, then, “ _We’re coming in._ ”

 

Orlin suddenly looked hurt as he heard the operatives burst into the house. “I was really hoping there could be another way.” As door after door was broken down, Orlin connected the power to the gate. The unstable vortex burst out, another miniature compared to the real deal, and Orlin turned to Carter. “You need to stop using the quantum mirror, it’s too dangerous. You know how I feel about you. I hope this isn’t goodbye.” Turning, Orlin leapt through the wormhole as Carter stared.

 

“Move, out of the way!”

 

“I cannot move until I am given an order by my mistress,” Virgo said flatly, Carter hearing as several operatives tried to force their way past her. “I was told by her that I should wait on the stairwell, and I will do so until told otherwise.”

 

Carter looked to the stairs, to the stargate, and exhaled.

 

The operatives finally managed to move past Virgo, and O’Neill charged in behind them to see a deactivated homemade stargate sitting in a dark and empty basement.

* * *

Carter sprinted after Orlin, watching as the skies overhead turned dark and ominous. O’Neill would probably make a point about cliché weather systems, but Carter was focused on trying to prevent a disaster. “Orlin!”

 

If he heard it, he didn’t give on that he did. Orlin barreled up the stairs to the weapon, disappearing from sight as he made the landing. Carter thought she heard the sound of a zat being fired, but when she heard a pistol fired she poured on the speed in time to see Orlin clutching at his side, an airman knocked unconscious, and Reynolds keeping his pistol on Orlin. “Hold your fire! I know this man!”

 

Reynolds shook his head, looking at Orlin like there was only an enemy before him. “He attacked us.”

 

Carter slowly moved between Reynolds and Orlin, keeping an eye on the other airman from SG-16 as she kept her P90 up. “Colonel, please, lower your weapon. He has a good reason to want to stop this test.”

 

Reynolds shook his head again. “I-I have orders from Gen. Hammond.”

 

“I know,” Carter said, hearing thunder boom and seeing lightning flash through the weapon’s aperture. “Let’s just dial out and talk to the general about it.”

 

“Can’t do that,” Reynolds said, nodding to the overloaded naquada reactor hooked up to the now-glowing weapon. “Your instructions specifically said that once we started the energy build up, we couldn’t abort of the reactor would blow.”

 

Carter turned back, seeing the pain on Orlin’s face increase. “He’s right, if we disconnect now the reactor will explode.”

 

Orlin nodded. “Good, the weapon will be destroyed.”

 

Reynolds straightened his pistol. “I can’t let that happen, major.”

 

Before Carter could make another argument, Orlin made a dive for the reactor. In horror, Carter watched as Reynolds fired several shots into Orlin, and even more horror to watch him tear the reactor from its connections. The device slowly dimmed, the reactor thrumming as Carter rushed to Orlin’s side. He gasped, still gripping the reactor. “I can’t believe how much this hurts.”

 

Carter nodded, trying to put pressure on at least one of the wounds. “Just hang on.”

 

Reynolds kept his pistol out, but grabbed Carter’s shoulder. “Major, we have to get out of here.”

 

Carter shook her head. “We can’t dial out, we’d risk the blast wave translating through the wormhole.”

 

The storm clouds started to dissipate, thunder only an echo as the lightning dimmed. Orlin smiled slightly, reaching up to caress Carter’s face. “I have to go Sam. They’re giving me another chance.”

 

Suddenly Carter felt the body under her become lighter, her hands eventually falling through Orlin’s stomach as his person was consumed by a bright light. Reynolds and SG-16 watched as the re-ascended Orlin transformed into a ball of light, what looked like streamers flittering off his core. What was once Orlin floated over the reactor, consuming it before speeding through the aperture and into the skies. Weapon still up, Reynolds watched as the light disappeared beyond the clouds. Seconds later a massive burst of energy lit up the sky, and a bolt of lightning slammed into the weapon. The sudden energy tore it to pieces, leaving SG-16 and Col. Reynolds staring at what had once been a possible tool. Carter didn’t join them, she was occupied looking up through the aperture at a clear blue sky.

* * *

“So there’s no chance of salvaging that mini-gate then?”

Daniel shook his head as he lead Shadow Gear to the gate room. “Turns out that Orlin made that thing specifically so it would break down after using it. Even with our best minds it’ll be decades before we might even get anything remotely useful from the wreckage.”

 

Levy sighed. “You don’t sound very disappointed though.”

 

Daniel remembered the times when the NID had kept control of the beta gate. “Yeah, I honestly think two stargates on Earth is more than enough.”

 

Droy rubbed at his still-sore wrists, the medics had done their best but pain was pain no matter your home. “So what about those jerks that tried to kidnap us?”

 

“Local police think it was a kidnapping, and right now we’re content to let them keep thinking that way.” The four entered the gate room, standing in the center waiting to be returned with their “home” lacrima bracelets. “Whoever they were, the NID is actually promising to look into this one. Bit of a twist all things considered.”

 

“Well maybe those NID guys are turning over a new leaf,” Jet said with a grin. “Who knows, maybe you might like them one day.”

 

Daniel grinned back. “Yeah, well, probably won’t be anytime soon though. Even if they are trying to reform now the kidnappers are probably in hiding trying to figure out where those vines came from.”

 

“Well master will want to hear everything about what’s happened,” Levy said, giving Daniel a quick hug. “The next time you need our help though, let’s go out for lunch instead of dinner.” Daniel chuckled as the trio tapped their lacrima, and the interior of the SGC transformed into the streets of Magnolia. As Jet threw his hat back on, the three strolled back to Fairy Tail to the usual sounds of their guild once more.

 

Lucy looked up from a card reading with Cana and smiled. “Levy, you’re back! How’d it go?”

 

“Well it was an adventure,” Levy said, giving Lucy a quick hug. “I need to take care of something, but I just got _loads_ of great material for your novel girl.”

 

Lucy gave a chuckle. “I can’t wait to hear it!”

 

Making her way through the hall, Levy saw Gajeel sitting next to an empty seat. Natsu and Happy were probably off to see Porlyuscia at the moment. Taking a breath, Levy strode forward with determination and crossed her arms. “Gajeel, we need to talk.”

 

Gajeel looked up, surprise turning into bravado in two seconds. “I knew it, you’d come back and apologize for what-”

 

“Save it.”

 

Gajeel blinked. “Hey, what do you-”

 

“This isn’t Phantom Lord Gajeel,” Levy said, glaring back at Gajeel hard enough that the Iron Dragon slayer almost seemed to back down. “You’ve done a lot to make up for what you’ve done, but you’ve still got a rotten attitude all things considered.”

 

Gajeel’s jaw dropped. “What’re you talking about? Name one time I haven’t helped out this guild for the better!”

 

“Name one time it didn’t involve being a bully or jerk to everyone else.” Gajeel’s mouth shut. “Exactly. You treat Jet and Droy like idiots, but do you really think I’d ever team up with people I didn’t trust?”

 

“Well no-”

 

“And you’ve got a bad habit of deciding that you want to always go along with me without asking me what I think. How about you ask permission first before you barge into something?”

 

“Yeah, but-”

 

“And you need to learn that there are rules Gajeel,” she said, leaning forward and forcing Gajeel back into his seat. “They may be different, but if we go back to the SGC and you want to come along you need to behave yourself. Otherwise I’ll make sure master forbids you from ever traveling dimensions again.”

 

Gajeel stared up at Levy for a second, face aghast. Suddenly one of the most bookish and smallest members of the guild was talking to him like she could take him in a fight? Standing up to him? “ _Standing up to me…_ ”

 

Gajeel grinned, and stood up again. “Alright, I get it. From now on I’ll try to do what you’re talking about.” Laughing, he still patted Levy’s head like she was a child. “Just don’t go thinking you’re suddenly tougher than me.”

 

Levy grinned as she batted his hand away. “You haven't seen tough yet you big jerk.”

 

Lucy looked on in awe as Levy and Gajeel spoke. “Wow, I can’t believe that Levy is talking to Gajeel like that.”

 

“Probably for the best,” Cana said, taking another half-gallon of mead down. “Face it, there’s something going on there. Maybe she just needs to straighten Gajeel out to figure what it is.”

 

Lucy laughed. “Gajeel and Levy? Yeah right, that’s like thinking there’s anything between Panther Lily and Mirajane.”

 

The doors to the guild swung open again, and Laxus strode in with the Thunder Tribe. The conversation died down, the four wizards' faces setting a pall of darkness of the guild. Makarov turned from his seat at the bar to see them walk past the other guildmates. “Laxus. The worst case then?”

 

“Absolute worst case,” Laxus answered, setting down next to his grandfather with a solemn gaze. “By the time we got there it was obvious whatever happened had long passed. I mean there was nothing left but rubble Gramps, rubble and…”

 

Makarov nodded, lowering his voice. “That makes three villages on the coasts, all moving toward Magnolia. So what is this thing waiting for?”

 

“Master,” Freed said, almost whispering as the conversation picked back up to cover him. “Do you think it’s what we talked about before leaving?”

 

Makarov let out a grumble. “I still don’t want to jump off without proof,” Makarov said quietly. “We just need to find someone who can tell us for sure what’s happening.”

 

“They’d better be fast then,” Laxus whispered. “Some of those people barely made it to the outskirts before they were crushed.”

* * *

Sen. Kinsey shook his head. “It appears our actions weren’t wholly successful, gentlemen, but the overall strategy remains in place. Thanks to Agent Simmons the SGC is on the path to thinking that the NID is willing to work with them after all.”

 

“Then we can proceed,” the fat man said, tapping the ash off his cigar. “Do we have any information on the men we utilized?”

 

“Eliminated,” the well-manicured man answered. “Their boss has been well-compensated for our use of them.”

 

Sen. Kinsey leaned back in his chair. “So, when do we make our move?”

 

“We’ll let the SGC remain in this bubble they’ve built around themselves,” the well-manicured man said. “They seem to be under the impression that the multiverse is strictly their domain.”

 

“Not for much longer gentlemen, I assure you.” Kinsey smiled as he snipped a fresh cigar, straight from Cuba via Canada, and lit up. “Soon we’ll have more than enough to begin a new phase in our plans.” The three men raised their glasses in agreement.


End file.
